And the golds keep on coming…

30 Jul 2010
Last year’s BAGCAT winner, and golden girl of the Championships, Kristina Neves doubled her gold medal tally today as she claimed a further three national titles at the British Gas ASA National Age Group Championships.

Winning the 800m, one of her preferred events, the Guernsey swimmer later claimed the title in the Girls’ 200m Freestyle in emphatic style. Going out of the blocks fast, she attacked the race turning at the half way mark in 1:01.36 and maintained her lead to finish in 2:05.91. Siwan Thomas-Howells, representing SwimSwansea, took silver in 2:06.35 with bronze going to Kingston Hull’s Grace Dennis who touched in 2:06.40.

In her last event of the day Neves took to the blocks in the 200m Butterfly and won with a strong 2:20.06 ahead of Georgina Young (Nova Centurion) and Shauntelle Austin (Preston).

“I’m really happy with my performances,” said Neves. “I wasn’t sure if I was going to win all of them so to get three golds is great.

"I’m tired, especially after the 800m, but I’ve got the day off tomorrow and I’m going to watch Twilight: Eclipse!”

Edward Martin (Walsall) claimed top spot in the Boys’ 11 years 400m Freestyle after a tight battle with Barnet’s Frederick Cornwell. With 50m to go Cornwell was four tenths of a second ahead but Martin powered back, and in the final 10m was able to claim victory in 4:36.16. Cornwell took silver in 4:36.35 with Jamie O’Connor (Thant Swim) taking bronze in 4:41.56.

Rosie Rudin added to her medal tally earlier today as she swam to victory in the Girls’ 11 year 800m Freestyle. Swimming for Nova Centurion Rudin had a convincing lead over the rest of the field as she touched in 9:34.75 with Bolton Metro’s Emma Burns claiming silver in 2:52.32.

Rudin later took silver in the 200m Butterfly behind City of Salford’s Rachel Morris who took the title in 2:34.41.

Chester Le Street’s Mark Ovington took gold in the Boys’ 12 years 400m Freestyle final after an excellent performance saw him finish in 4:27.93. Silver was won by Suleman Butt (Aberdeen) in 4:29.46 with bronze going to Philip Dowding-Young (Team Ipswich) in 4:30.91.

Swim Trafford’s Benjamin Kerry won the Boys’ 13 years 400m Freestyle in a time of 4:15.35. Silver went to Jordan Hughes (N Ayrshire) with Benjamin Levart taking bronze.

Emily Longstone claimed her second gold of the Championships in the Girls’ 200m Freestyle after touching in a time of 2:15.35. The 11-year-old, swimming in front of her home crowd in Sheffield, took to the blocks confidently after taking the 100m title earlier in the week.

Silver went to Rosie Rudin in 2:17.42 and Emily House took bronze touching in 2:17.60.

Emma Grayson (City of Liverpool) took gold in the Girls’ 12 years 200m Freestyle in a time of 2:08.66. Silver went to City of Manchester’s Brearnna Close in 2:09.70 with Penny Whittingham taking bronze in 2:10.68.

“My training coming into this has been great and it feels really good to have won the gold,” said Grayson. “The crowd here are really supportive, I really like competing here.”

Close later secured her gold in the Girls’ 200m 12 years Butterfly touching in a time of 2:22.66, with Whittingham taking silver 2:25.81.

“I’m really pleased, I don’t know what to say,” said Close. “I was hoping for a medal but I never thought it would be gold.

“I’ve finished all of my individual events now and I’m really pleased with how these Championships have gone. It’s going to give me a lot of confidence going forward.”

Gallica’s Anthony Lucas swam to gold in the Boys’ 14 years 200m Backstroke in a time of 2:09.09. Joshua Booth of Millfield claimed silver with bronze going to Caleb Hughes of Mid Beds.

“I wasn’t expecting to win,” said Lucas. “It was a tough race out there but I swam well.

“It’s really good to be competing here and all of my club mates are really supportive. I have a few more events coming up so I may be able to get another medal.”

The closest contest of the evening came in the Boys’ 13 years 200m Backstroke as Nova Centurion’s Thomas Roberts touched in 2:15.50 to claim the title only thirteen hundredths of a second ahead of Middlesbrough’s Perry Gardner.

oming down to the final five metres, the pair raced to the final touch. Jack Utting of UEA Norwich claimed bronze in 2:16.60.

The Boys’ 4x200m Freestyle Team event saw Millfield School take top honours with Plymouth Leander finishing in second and City of Coventry in third.

Other gold medallists include Jack Smith (Plymouth Leander) in the Boys’ 14 years 400m Freestyle, Martyn Walton of Hatfield in the Boys’ 12 years 200m Backstroke and Penny Whittingham in the Girls’ 12 years 800m Freestyle.